


Hammock + Balcony...Take 2

by NephilimEQ



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Complete, Episode: s02e16 Hammock + Balcony, Fix-It, Flirting, Idiots in Love, Lots of Touching, M/M, macdalton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NephilimEQ/pseuds/NephilimEQ
Summary: What if Jack had gone in Riley's place on the undercover op as Mac's new husband? Well, let's find out...
Relationships: Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 102





	Hammock + Balcony...Take 2

****

** Hammocks + Balcony…Take 2 **

Jack was thrilled when he walked into the war room and found out that they were going undercover at the winery. Matty had tried to keep him off the mission, but Jack had known ahead of time (due to some of his contacts in the foundation) who was going to be assigned to the case, and knew that Leanna, Bozer’s training school girlfriend, was going to be assigned. He was not about to watch Bozer mope during the entire mission at seeing his girlfriend having to be pretend married to Mac.

Yes, Jack was aware of the two of them and that they’d secretly been in contact. He was a damn operative, after all, and he knew that their relationship had never stopped after school.

Instead, just as her picture came up on screen, Jack suggested, “You know, it makes more sense for her to be paired up with Bozer, Matty.”

She arched an eyebrow at him, and he quickly explained himself.

“The two of them went through training together, after all, they know each other’s moves better. Besides, what’s gonna be more believable? Bozer and Leanna? Or Bozer and Riley?”

Riley made a face at him, and Mac looked at him suspiciously, but Matty only gave him one long glance…and then said, sounding reluctant as she said it, “Though I hate to admit it, Jack has a point. Leanna would probably be suited more for Bozer. So, I guess that leaves Mac with--”

“Me,” Jack quickly interjected and everyone in the room turned to look at him.

He stood up and raised his hands, saying, “Before you go jumping down my throat, sayin’ I’m too old, or that I can’t play gay, lemme explain. First of all, this kid may claim that he doesn’t wanna go into the family business, but that don’t mean he isn’t going to have the best bodyguards that daddy can buy for him, so you need _some_ one in there who can handle those dudes. Not that I’m dissin’ anyone’s skills,” he quickly reassured everyone, “But between the four of us, who has the best chance at actually taking on military trained guards and winning if things go totally sideways?”

They all gave him a look, but then Mac said, crossing his arms across his chest, “Okay, you’ve made _a_ point. Any other arguments besides that one?” and Jack grinned.

“I know you better than anyone else here, Mac. Who’s gonna be more convincing as your spouse? Riley? …or me?” he drawled, pointing at himself, and even though he heard a collective groan from the rest of them, he was taken aback when Matty said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this twice in one day…but Jack’s right. You two already fight like an old married couple, after all,” she added with a grin, and then turned to Riley and said, “You wanna help run the tech from here?”

She nodded at their boss.

“Sure, fine with me. Any excuse to not have to throw on a dress and heels,” she said, throwing up a hand and giving them all a look, and Jack rolled his eyes.

Mac then looked back at him and said, “So, what…does that make you my sugar daddy or something?”

Jack coughed and glared at him.

“Far from it, Mac. These days, age differences aren’t looked down on, especially when it comes to…alternative lifestyles,” he said delicately, and Mac nodded, and Jack was pleased to see that Mac was really smiling because it reached his eyes, and Jack silently grinned to himself. He couldn’t wait to take the wedding pictures.

\--

The wedding pictures were _fun._

They put them into matching tuxedos, with matching boutonnieres, and Jack found himself tracing Mac’s profile with his eyes over and over again as they started to take photos, knowing it wouldn’t look strange because they were supposed to be in love, after all, and it was wonderful to have the excuse to not have to hold himself back and stare as much and as long as he wanted. Mac was a _beautiful_ man, and Jack had seen it all the way back when they’d first met in the sandbox.

Unable to help himself, because Mac looked _damn_ fine in a tux, he dipped him and twirled him, and when asked by Jill to lean in for a kiss, Jack didn’t hesitate. He leaned right in and pressed a kiss onto the lips that he’d imagined on his ever since they’d met in the sandbox. Mac seemed slightly startled when he did it, but pressed into it, obviously trying to get into character.

It wasn’t hard for Jack to do at all.

Effortless, really.

Giving him a curious look, Mac said quietly as the camera shuttered in the background, their mouths only centimeters from each other, “You’re really into this, Jack. I had no idea you’d be so comfortable with being gay for an undercover op,” and Jack just shrugged and replied, “What, it’s not like I’ve ever been straight as a board, you know. More…like rubber foam. I think the kids call it heteroflexible,” he commented, winking, enjoying the wash of expressions across the younger man’s face at his admission.

Before Mac could say anything else, Jill then shouted out, “Eskimo kisses, you two! Eskimo kisses,” and Jack pulled Mac just a little bit closer and rubbed his nose to his, smiling, pleased when Mac returned the look, looking just as comfortable as Jack was…but he knew it was only because Mac was a trained operative. He knew how to make it look real.

Mac never had to know how Jack really felt. This was the best outlet he would ever have.

And then Jill said, turning to Bozer and Leanna, “Okay, now where’s my other happy couple? Get ready, lovebirds, you’re up! You guys will have to work _pretty_ hard to out-cute these two,” and Jack looked up just in time to see Bozer mouth “thank you” in his direction as he stood next to Leanna in her wedding dress and he tossed him a discreet thumbs up.

\--

When they arrived at the winery retreat, Jack was trying very hard to keep himself in control, because Mac looked _delectable._ He was wearing a blue suit that showed off his tan and his hair beautifully, as well as his eyes, and the open collar on his shirt was nearly sinful, what with the way it gave him tantalizing glimpses of his collarbone.

Jack had to hold back the urge to lean down and bite it.

However, Jack had the sneaking suspicion that he was doing pretty well himself, because even as he walked in with Mac, his hand resting in Mac’s lower back, blatantly letting everyone know that the two of them were most _certainly_ together, he saw several women (and men) glance in his direction with appreciative looks. He hadn’t had any say in his wardrobe, but he was pleased when they’d kept it simple for him, and so Jack wore a pristine matching sport coat and dress pants in such a dark green it was nearly black, and the same white shirt as Mac.

They let him keep his rings, which made him feel a bit more comfortable and almost as if he wasn’t even lying about being Mac’s husband, because a bit more of himself was there in his character.

He _had_ had a say in the wedding bands, however, and he’d splurged with some of his own money, even if they _were_ fake, and had bought bands that were made from meteorite and hard-pressed redwood, and Jack had noticed Mac fiddling with it more than once, looking down and admiring it at different intervals.

It made Jack preen, knowing that he’d picked out something that Mac liked.

As soon as they arrived, they spotted their mark, and at seeing that the couple was at odds with each other, Jack whispered into Mac’s ear, “Follow me, I know just the thing to pull those two out of their shell,” and then ran his hand intimately along Mac’s waist, making their embrace look loving and a precursor to something entirely different.

“I don’t entirely trust you,” Mac muttered, giving him a look, “But it looks like you’re not giving me much of a choice.”

Jack grinned.

“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart…it’ll work. It always works.”

He sauntered over to the bar area, Mac in tow, and then promptly ordered a bottle of their best whiskey, and then slipped the female server several large bills, and he was fairly certain that he took Mac off guard when he spoke to her in flawless French, because when he turned back around with the tray of shots to their little group of four, Mac said, “I thought you only spoke Spanish,” and Jack shrugged.

“Oh, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Mac. Now,” he gestured with the tray. “Let’s get this party started.”

They threw back the shots, Bozer then hooked up his club playlist, and soon Omar and his wife were dancing with them and doing shots with them, and they didn’t seem the least bit put off by Jack’s age, and that only made him feel all the more confident that they could pull it off. By late afternoon, after they had just finished a hearty round of grape stomping, Mac was hanging with Leanna and the mark’s girlfriend, and Jack was with Bozer and Omar, the rich playboy who was playing right into their hands.

Keeping it casual, Jack gestured with the drink in his hand and said, “You and your wife should join us for dinner tonight. On me, of course. It’s nice to meet someone else who knows how to have a good time, if you know what I’m sayin’,” and the kid nodded and accepted, saying, “Sounds good. Say…eight o’clock?”

Jack nodded back at him and drawled, “Eight it is. See you then.”

As they went back to rejoin with their fake spouses, Bozer said under his breath, “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jack Dalton? Because I’ve never seen you this smooth undercover before.”

Jack chuckled.

“Need I remind you, I _told_ you guys that this was my scene. It’s not my fault that you didn’t believe me,” and sauntered back over to join Mac, wrapping his arm around his waist, thrilled at the fact that he was allowed to, and then gently pressed his lips to the curve of Mac’s jaw and murmured, “Did you get her phone copied?”

Mac turned his head, looking to everyone else as if he was reciprocating the gesture, and said into his ear, “It’s called cloned, Jack, and yes, we did. They coming to dinner?”

Jack smiled back at him.

“Sure are.”

\--

Dinner went flawlessly, no awkwardness, even though the young woman insisted that every time someone clinked their glass, they had to kiss. It wasn’t a problem for any of them, though Jack felt as if Mac was holding back when he leaned in and pressed his lips to his. He decided not to take it personally, and instead focused on the mission.

He ended up doing shots at the table with Omar and Bozer and Mac, while Leanna interrogated the girlfriend in the bathroom, and it was soon obvious to Jack that he was going to be the only one without a hangover the next day. Mac had showed them his little trick to not feel the effects of the alcohol, something to do with eyedrops, though he’d warned them that they would have the worst hangover in the world in the morning. But, unlike the rest of them, Jack had been on ops for years and he knew how to make it look like he was keeping up, while never actually getting drunk.

It took years to master, though, so he kept the information to himself, and instead kept an eye out as Mac and Bozer chatted up the mark, taking note of where the kid’s bodyguards were and what kind of arsenal that they were carrying. He made it look casual, though.

Something felt…off. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but the numbers of the guards…huh. He’d figure it out eventually.

He had his arm slung around the back of Mac’s chair, and he scanned the room from corner to corner, while maintaining the outward appearance of being lightly buzzed.

His hand drifted over Mac’s shoulder and then he absently traced his fingers through the hair at the back of the genius’s neck, thrilled that he had a reason to do exactly what he’d always wanted to do, and that no one would question it, not even Mac. Despite the fact that they were on an op, this was the happiest Jack had felt in a long time, especially when Mac leaned into the touch, almost nuzzling back against Jack’s hand, and he felt his heart clench at the unconscious motion.

Just as Omar was about to tell them where his father was, however, his new wife came back, planted herself on his lap, and Jack knew that their opportunity for the night had been shot to hell.

As soon as the two of them left, they all groaned, except for Jack, and Bozer complained, “We have to do this all again, tomorrow?”

Jack immediately retorted, “That’s the _job_ , Boze. Be glad this is only for a couple days. Imagine what it’s like doing this for _months_ at a time, my friend,” and everyone gave him a look, including Mac, though his look seemed more worried than impressed. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this before,” Jack reassured them. “Now, knowing them, they’re going to be up at the crack of dawn because you can tell from her body that she’s obviously one of those fitness nuts. Who’s gonna join me for a run tomorrow morning? Losers go to yoga with her.”

They all looked at each other, and then Jack snorted when Mac raised his fist and said, “Rock, paper, scissors, guys,” but they all waved him off, and as Leanna stood up, she said, “Jack’s the one who came up with it, so you two are the ones who are going for the run. Have fun, boys.”

Jack threw Mac a grin while Mac rolled his eyes.

“So, sweetheart, it’s like being back in the sandbox. Up before the sun. Think you can do it again?”

Mac groaned. Jack laughed.

\--

The next morning, the two of them were up bright and early. Down on the winery property, just as the sun peaked up over the edge of the mountains, the two of them ran side by side, keeping their’ eyes out for Omar and one of his loyal bodyguards. Jack was secretly loving the run and spent most of the time trying not to laugh at the fact that Mac’s head was killing him. He felt bad for him, he really did, but at the same time he couldn’t help but find the whole thing amusing.

“Just like being back in the sandbox, babe. How you doin’?” he said, reaching out and clapping him on the shoulder, trying not to laugh, never breaking stride.

Mac groaned and muttered as he trudged next to him, “My head keeps on moving up and down, what do you think, Jack?”

Within seconds, Omar joined them, and when Mac gently prodded to see if he could get him to convince his father to stay for a couple more days, they both noticed how he stiffened up. Jack took notice of the bodyguard, gauging his running speed and how close he was staying to Omar, and came to an unsettling conclusion. But he needed to confirm it.

As soon as they were gone, Mac said into his mic, “I think we just got made,” but Jack shook his head.

“No, no…something else is going on here, Mac, I can feel it,” he said, tugging gently on his partner’s elbow and Mac gave him a look. Jack didn’t know how to explain it, so he quickly said, “Look, he’s gone by tonight, so let’s have the three of you guys get him alone at some point during the day and find out what he knows. I need to scope out the rest of his team. I don’t know what it is man, I just…I got this feelin’, Mac…”

He gave him a long look, but then nodded.

“Okay, I trust you, Jack. We’ll take care of Omar, you check out the rest.”

He leaned in and impulsively pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth and said, “Thanks, babe…”

He didn’t see the look that Mac gave him as he jogged back to their room.

\--

Jack showered quickly, changed into a clean pair of dress pants and another crisp, white dress shirt, and then discreetly walked around the outside of the winery, trying to make it look like he was just taking a stroll, his phone out and pressed up to his ear, to hide the fact that he was listening and talking over the comms as he did so.

Jack was impressed with Mac’s plan to use the private massage session to dose Omar and make him talk, but as they got everything together, Jack suddenly realized what was wrong with the guards.

There were _far_ too many, even for a party kid like Omar. The only reason he would have this many guards…well, shit.

“Guys, guys, change of plans,” he hissed over the comms, rushing back to their room. “Don’t bother with interrogating him, knock him out, contact exfil, and get him to the plane!” he said, trying to go as quickly as he could without drawing attention to himself, and he heard everyone’s sounds of confusion, so he quickly explained.

“Look, I was checking out the security situation…I think this kid is his father’s right-hand man. This much security isn’t used for a party boy, but for someone that daddy can’t risk losing because he’s too valuable in _other_ ways. I’d bet good money that he killed his brother, too,” Jack said over the comms. “You need to knock him out as soon as you get him, as quietly as you can, and we need to get him to the plane, like, two hours ago,” he finished.

Mac said over the comms, _“Jack, are you sure about this, because we can interrogate--”_

“Dammit, Mac, just trust me on this!” he said, finally making it to the room and ripping out his comm, looking at everyone standing there. “We need to get him out, now, because he knows more than just where his father is, but also all the dirty little details that we’ll never have the chance of getting in a short, drug-induced interrogation over a massage table!”

Mac looked at him, and Jack looked back at him imploringly…and then let out a sigh of relief when Mac said to Leanna over the comms, “Did you get that, Leanna? Drug him as soon as he’s down, and then we’ll be there to help get him out through the window and down the balcony.”

“You gotta plan, hoss?” Jack asked, trying (and failing) to not fall more in love with him as he listened to what Jack had asked.

“I have a plan,” Mac said…but then tilted his head. “Okay, so I have _half_ of a plan, but I’ll have the other half soon. Let’s get moving, guys.”

And they did.

\--

As they drove off in the rattling pickup truck, Jack kept a close eye on Omar, still not certain of him, even though Mac said that he was out cold.

“Okay, Omar’s still out cold,” Mac said, leaning forward to talk to Leanna and Bozer. “Exfil’s got our coordinates, yet?” he asked, and Bozer replied, “Matty’s got our plane en route,” and Mac commented, “Well, once we’re airborne we’ve gotta keep going on our interrogation--”

Just as he said it, Jack saw the kid, who was _supposed_ to be out cold, suddenly reach for the back latch on the wine truck, and he immediately lunged forward and threw him to his back on the metal corrugated bed.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he breathed out, holding him down with his full body weight. “Where the hell do you think you’re goin’, pal? Back to daddy? Not today, bud.”

Mac saw him and breathed a sigh of relief, and Jack shot him a wink and a grin, and said, “Out cold, huh?” and Mac rolled his eyes and retorted, “Oaky, maybe I messed up the dosage,” but Jack shook his head and reassured him, “Naw, hoss. I’m sure you got it right. It’s just that Omar, here, has been trained by dear old dad how to come out of these kind of drug induced states. Part of your trainin’ to become daddy’s little right-hand man, huh? Wasn’t it, Omar?” he goaded, and the man just struggled under his grasp, to no avail.

He then looked up at Mac and asked, “Got anymore of that chloroform? Or can I just knock him out old school style?”

Mac looked reluctant, but then said, “I’m out of the chloroform for now, so…”

Jack grinned.

“Seriously? This is the best op ever!” he couldn’t help but say, and then pulled back his fist and gave Omar a love tap that had him out cold, but uninjured. Jack moved from on top of him and then settled himself back next to Mac in the truck, unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot the entire ride to the airstrip.

They made it to the exfil site and before they knew it, they were back up in the air and Mac got back to his interrogation technique, Omar coming to with some powerful smelling salts that Mac had, of course, made from some ingredients he found in the minibar on the plane. Jack watched with pride as he got out the information that he needed, and they told Matty where to send the team. Not an hour later, they heard the news that Boris, Omar’s father, had been taken into custody, and the entire op was handled.

\--

Never before had Jack been more proud of Mac, but as soon as they were back at the Phoenix, about to get their final debriefing, he felt slightly off-balance when Mac suddenly stopped him before he went into the room with a strong hand on his elbow and an earnest look in his eye.

“Jack, a word.”

Taken aback by his forwardness, as well as curious at the tone in his voice, Jack stopped, and gave him a nod and said, “Alright. About what?”

He watched Mac take a deep breath, and then was baffled when he said, “You…saved our asses back there. More than once. If you hadn’t been on this op, I…I’m pretty sure that it would have gone way worse. So, I guess what I’m saying is…thanks for being my fake husband and seeing what I couldn’t and saving our lives.”

Jack shrugged, though he couldn’t help but smile as he said, “Ah, well, just doin’ my job. You got my back, I got yours. Remember?”

Mac nodded.

“Yeah, I remember.” Jack then moved to push past him to the war room, but then Mac grabbed his arm a second time and asked, “Jack…about the undercover part. Well, to me it didn’t seem like you even had to try. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but every single time you touched me, reached out to me, uh…kissed me…it almost seemed like it wasn’t just part of the op, but that you were…enjoying it?” He said the last part as a question, but Jack wasn’t sure what to say, so he waited, and then Mac said, “I just…I wanted to let you know, that I, uh…I enjoyed it, too. All of it. It felt…nice.”

Jack let out a long sigh of relief and then slowly reached up and pulled Mac’s hand from his upper arm and then slid his fingers between the younger man’s. He then looked him in the eye and gave him a small grin as he squeezed his hand and said, “I enjoyed every second of it, Mac. Not gonna lie. It was nice being able to reach out and touch you like that, whenever I wanted. Kinda gonna miss it.”

Mac ducked his head, and Jack could have sworn he saw his cheeks flush, and then he heard him mutter, “You don’t have to miss it, if you don’t want to…”

Jack understood immediately what Mac was implying and his eyebrow shot up.

“Wait…you mean it?”

Mac nodded.

“Yeah, I mean it.”

He wanted to lean in and press a kiss to that perfect mouth of his, but Jack was suddenly very much aware that they were outside of a room where the rest of their team was waiting…a room that was made of glass. So, instead of plastering himself to young genius’s lips, he gave him a broad smile and said under his breath, “After the debrief. Your place?”

Mac nodded and Jack couldn’t help but grin even wider.

\--

**The End**


End file.
